6/13/2018

PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams joined local officials today to celebrate a $3.6 million competitive grant award to the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) to help modernize their bus fleet, improving service and reliability for thousands of riders.

Acting Administrator Williams was joined at an event at the East Liberty Transit Center by PAAC CEO Katharine Kelleman and Urban Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Robert Rubinstein to celebrate the grant award and highlight the benefits of bus transit in getting residents of Allegheny County to jobs, education, medical appointments, and more.

"At USDOT, infrastructure investment is one of Secretary Chao’s top priorities," said Acting Administrator Williams. "This grant will support new vehicles that will help make bus service in Allegheny County more effective, safe, and reliable."

PAAC was selected for a $3.6 million grant award through FTA’s competitive Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment program, which helps transit agencies nationwide replace and rehabilitate buses and bus infrastructure. The grant will go toward replacing some of the oldest buses in the PAAC fleet with new clean diesel vehicles, which will lower the average age of the fleet and improve service reliability for riders. Learn more in FTA’s two-minute video.

The FY2017 round of the Bus and Bus Facilities program awarded $264 million to 139 projects nationwide. The FY2018 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is expected to be announced this summer.